


moving forward

by artenon



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, First years as third years, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-26 17:42:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15006029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artenon/pseuds/artenon
Summary: It’s not like he wasn’t expecting this. Their first year, and last year, Shouyou’s excitement for reaching the national finals had somehow dimmed when he realized it would be the last game he played with his current team. Kei just didn’t realize Shouyou’s reaction would be that much stronger now that he was a third year. He was bummed the last couple years, sure, but right now he’s straight up sobbing.





	moving forward

**Author's Note:**

> i saw this prompt and wrote this SO FAST i love tsukihina and i love first years as third years THANKS OP
> 
> Prompt:   
> TIME: 3 minutes before their last match of high school  
> PLACE: the bathroom that Hinata is refusing to leave

Kei sighs. He can’t see any feet beneath the door of the closed bathroom stall, but he knows Shouyou is there, probably squatting on top of the toilet seat as he pretends he’s not bawling in a public restroom three minutes before a match.

“Shouyou,” he says.

Shouyou inhales snottily. “Gimme a minute.”

“You don’t have a minute.”

“Yes, I do, so give me a minute!” Shouyou snaps, but the anger is kind of lost because his nose is all stuffed up and it shows in his voice.

Kei rubs his temple. It’s not like he wasn’t expecting this. Their first year, and last year, Shouyou’s excitement for reaching the national finals had somehow dimmed when he realized it would be the last game he played with his current team.

It was surprising at first, but then it made sense: The only thing that could match Shouyou’s love of winning was his love for his team. In middle school, he’d had friends but no proper team. Since high school, he’d had a team he could depend on, and who would depend on him in turn. Without a team, Shouyou wouldn’t be able to play, and without a team that got along and worked well together, he wouldn’t be able to win.

Kei just didn’t realize Shouyou’s reaction would be that much stronger now that he was a third year. He was bummed the last couple years, sure, but right now he’s straight up sobbing.

And somehow, Kei was the one they sent in to deal with it.

“You’re the captain,” Kageyama had said with a shrug, a blatant excuse, because he’d been the one to kick Shouyou’s ass back into gear the past two years, but Kageyama is notoriously bad at dealing with tears. As if Kei is any better.

“You’re his boyfriend,” Yamaguchi had said with a shrug, the traitor.

“I-I can’t go into the boys’ bathroom!” Yacchan had said. “Oh my gosh, will Hinata-kun be okay?! What should we do?! Should I get Takeda-sensei?”

Takeda-sensei would probably have gone in the bathroom and started crying along with Shouyou, so Kei, resigned to his fate, had gone in alone.

“We can still help the team with practice until we graduate,” Kei says to the stall door. “And you’ll be joining a new team soon, in university. I’m sure you’ll get along with them.”

“Yeah, b-but, everything’s going to be different,” Shouyou says. “You won’t be there, and—”

“I’m still going to be there, even if I don’t join the team,” Kei says.

He never had any doubt that Shouyou would get scouted by several universities, and had looked into any school he thought Shouyou might be interested in attending. He’d always intended to take the entrance exam for wherever Shouyou decided to go.

“And besides, you and Kageyama will still be playing together, so it’s not like everything is going to be different.”

“Idiot!” Shouyou yells. “I’ve always known I’m going to keep on playing with Kageyama forever! I said _you_ won’t be there!”

He yanks the stall door open, bringing Kei face-to-face with Shouyou’s angry tears.

“I love you! I want to keep playing with you!”

“You—” Kei stutters. Shouyou says nothing, heaving through his tears and angrily scrubbing at his face, which gives Kei a moment to collect himself.

“You,” he tries again, “really know how to pick the first time to say ‘I love you,’ don’t you.”

“I—ghh—erk,” Shouyou says, his brain apparently catching up with his mouth.

Kei slides his hand behind Shouyou’s neck and pulls him forward. Shouyou stumbles into his chest, then brings his arms up to hug him.

“I’m sorry,” Kei says.

“Huh?”

“I never intended to continue volleyball competitively after high school. But I know how important volleyball is to you, and it’s important for me to be involved in the things important to you.”

It’s hard to speak so frankly. Kei still has trouble opening up a lot of times, but he’s willing to try for Shouyou. Without even knowing it, Shouyou has always been able to push him to try harder, ever since their first three-vs-three as freshmen.

Kei pets Shouyou’s hair slowly, curling his fingers in the soft orange strands. He draws in a breath and continues, “The truth is, I’ve been looking into becoming a manager on your team. I can help with training regimens and strategies and support you in my own way.”

Shouyou pulls out of the hug. His tears have mostly stopped falling, and Kei brushes away a drop still rolling halfway down his cheek. Shouyou leans a little into his touch.

“How does that sound?” Kei asks.

“It’s… it’s not as good as playing with you, but it’s better than nothing, and,” he makes a pinched face, “I know… I have to compromise… sometimes…”

“Yes, you can just save the bullheaded stubbornness for when you’re dealing with Kageyama, please.”

“Hah,” Shouyou says. He wipes the last tear from the corner of his eye. “It does makes me really happy that you still want to be involved in volleyball in some way.”

“We can talk about it more later,” Kei promises. “Are you okay now?”

“Yeah,” Shouyou says, pumping his fist in the air.

“Then let’s get out there and win.”

“Yeah!”

“And, Shouyou?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you too.”


End file.
